Archive for September, 2012

Editor’s note: I was particularly pleased to get a Daisha interview because I wanted to let everyone know just how awesome he is. Back when Nulli joined and pushed Amarr to t4, Dai spent all of his LP upgrading systems so that everyone else could reap the benefits. He is always helpful, kind, and a great guy to fly with. He is also one of Amarr’s newest upcoming FCs. ♥ you Dai.

In a male dominated game, what made you choose a girl toon? Also, where does the name come from?

The name actually is a result of my girlfriend exploiting me. She didn’t want me playing a MMORPG because she had heard about them from her friends and thought it would take away time in our relationship, so the cost of playing eve was I had to make a female toon and name it after her lol. While her name is Daisha, the last name, Voluptia, was just something I came up with somehow.

How long have you been playing EVE? How much of that time has been within Amarr Militia? Have you flown for any other faction?

I’ve been playing eve since the summer of 2009, about 2 years of that has been in the Amarr Militia. I’ve only flown Amarr Militia as i have a very rooted sense of pride and love for the people I’ve flown with in Amarr Militia.

What other things in EVE have you tried besides Militia?

Well when i first started eve I tried mining, which was fun until my corp had got war-decced. I lived in null sec in the catch and providence regions for several months, had a brief membership in Dirt Nap Squad learning about hot drops, really I think I’ve done just about everything eve has to offer, and I’ve had the most fun in eve within Faction Warfare.

Discuss some of your most memorable moments with Militia.

Oh god, there’s just been so many. The time we were doing a black ops drop and Eran jumped his panther instead of bridging the fleet was good laughs, the other ppl in redeemers and widows had to jump into to make sure he didn’t die while all the SB’s and recon ships just kinda sat there going wtf lol. Fighting PL was also very memorable. But I what I loved best and miss the most are the BS/cap fights we used to have almost every weekend.

At what point did you decide to pirate within the Militia? Does being flashy help or hinder your play style?

I started pirating in TMFED, (thanks predator elite lol) and haven’t really done anything to raise it back up since them. I think it hinders my play style because it hurts not having gate guns on your side, so one day I will have to grind it back up I think 🙂

Why do you think other players should try FW if they have not?

Well FW is still very much a good place to learn PVP. And if you already are good at PvP, it’s a good place in my opinion to hone your solo or small gang work, just be ready for a blob at any time from Amarr or Minnies!

From your perspective, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Amarr?

Our biggest strength has always been that the core Amarr corps that are still around are very trusting of each other and support each other. Our biggest weakness is that for a long time we haven’t trusted the general militia, mostly due in part because we don’t have a core FC atm that is willing to work with general militia. In return they don’t really know us, and so you have this barrier between the Amarr Veterans and new guys, which hurts us when we’re trying to get numbers for fleets. I also think we have the best intel on blink promo’s lol.

How do you think Inferno has affected FW?

All I really have to say about inferno is that it ruined the PvE side of FW and made PVP a pain in the ass for the losing side lol. But inferno brought the most PvP I have ever seen on the Amarr/Minnie front, which was fun while it lasted.

What do you think of the proposed changes for the winter expansion?

I’m excited for ship changes, it’s always fun to mess around with re-balanced ships and im interested to see how the logi frigs and crusiers play out. My biggest concern (have not checked on this in a while so may be an old idea) was that CCP was gonna make it so all cruisers could enter a medium plex. This is a horrible idea as low sig radius cruisers combined with logi and falcons would be no fun to counter and no one would fight in mediums. But I’m ok with pretty much all the other changes.

What would you like to see done differently both for FW and for low sec?

Well there are plenty of good ideas that both yourself and Susan Black have brought up like roaming NPC fleets and cyno jamming modules that I could think would be good for FW. Also FW systems that don’t have stations need to be made useful and worth fighting for.

How important is plexing and Sovereignty to you?

It’s still important to me, but is a little less important since atm we don’t really have the means to do a plexing push for system control. I have helped in pretty all of Amarr’s plexing pushes and have great respect for Black Watch Guards’ defense of Sahtogas.

Discuss the Minmatar Militia from your perspective. Who do you admire the most? Who do you enjoy blowing up the most?

Ah Minnies. ❤ I can’t hate on the minmatar, even if they do love jamming us and blobing us and call us pussies for running away when we can’t fight. I have to say I admire the Sasawong the most lol. All Amarr smile and cuss a little bit when they see him come into local. I’m also a fan of Dagrian Darius. I enjoy blowing up Susan black the most, if only because people get really excited when point is called on her and comms is hilarious when 6 people at once call point on her lol.

Who do admire most within the Amarr Militia?

Almity, the man is the last real FC in amarr US TZ besides myself, and even I when I FC it’s like twice a week. Almity has been doing it almost nightly for months now. Although he has horrible timing and is responsible for much facepalm, he’s a great FC and a great person. He has a lot of patience and is extremely polite. I don’t think Ive ever heard him rage on comms once.

Thank you for the interview, any parting thoughts or shout-outs?

Just Amarr Militia Mother*******! Shout out to Shirak Skunkworks, TMFED, ILAW, BWGRD, 24eme Legion Etrangere and the 24th IC pilots still going out and fighting the good fight! Also shout out to fweddit and moar tears ❤ you guys. Also remember Drake stands for do right and kill everything!

FavoriteFW System: AugaSpacestation: Auga Third!EVE Related Celebrity: RTSAvalanche, Amarr Militia hero and baller pilot.Pirate Corp or Alliance: Herectic Nation.EVE Related Website: Evenews24 and backstage (yes I do rp sometimes).Way To Make Isk: Looting wrecks and then salvaging them. Also I would like to share that I still have not won a promo!Ammo: Void L.Ship: Vigilant.Wartarget To Shoot: The SasawongCorpse: Predator Elite’s corpse lolFood & Drink While Playing EVE: Dont eat while playing but I am a known alcoholic so usually good old jack and ginger ale or tequila, sometimes both!Song To Fly To: I have a few I’ll share—
It’s Good- Lil Wayne ft jadakiss and drake
Falling – Distance
Coming Undone – Korn
United State of pop 2009 – DJ Earworm

How long have you been playing EVE and what brought you to the game?
I have been playing for a year and 4 months. Still learning a lot, which I’m sure will never end. The person I was with at the time had been playing. At this point I was still very much hooked on COD, and eventually got curious. The game looked so boring, I wanted to know what the big deal was, then I was hooked lol.

How long have you been with Amarr Militia? What other parts of EVE have you tried?
A year and a month. I started in high sec like everyone does, and stayed there until I felt comfortable enough to come out to low sec, join RTS, and a couple of others I had met.

Why do you think other players should try FW if they have not?
Well, honestly, Why Not? Most of the players I’ve met in FW are awesome. Even met someone on a bus trip a few months back who used to be a miner. All his friends had stopped playing, so he did too. I told him to re-up, come out and hang with us and blow stuff up XP Sadly I haven’t heard from him yet.

From your perspective, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the Amarr Militia?
From what I’ve seen, a large percentage of Amarr are very good at PVP. We have a lot of tight-knit groups, which is both a strength and weakness at times. Our biggest problem is lacking the numbers of active players.

How do you think Inferno has affected FW?
Christ on a Bike… Inferno. I just had to censor every explicative that ran through my mind. I came out of high sec for a reason, and my main source of income had been mission farming, which I only had to do a few hours here and there (You know, like working for a living). Now we have to have the numbers to flip systems if we want to have a good income. Honestly, a lot of the active FW players that I know would rather be fighting than circling a button while staring at the screen, sipping alcohol to dull the ache of boredom.

What do you think of the proposed changes for the winter expansion?
Honestly, I haven’t read it. To quote Someone’s signature off the forums, “The only thing CCP could fix that doesn’t suck is a vacuum.” (Epic sig btw, whoever you are) So I only bother with learning these things thru the rumor mill. Usually too painful to look at XP

What would you like to see done differently both for FW and for low sec?
Let me friggin Dock! It’d at least let us mission again so we could have a somewhat stable income. I understand not being able to dock is a penalty, but when you only have so many, and fewer yet interested in plexing… the point becomes a bit moot.

How important is plexing and sovereignty to you?
ZZZzzzz, I’m sorry, what was the question? If we had more people it’d be more enjoyable. Honestly, I think most of us do it out of boredom.

Who do you admire the most within the Amarr and Minmatar Militias? Who do you enjoy blowing up the most?
Amarr is Muad ‘dib, hands down. He’s been playing so long, that he has the stats to all the modules memorized. I only hope I can learn so much in 8 years. TMFED’s reaction to his trained skills list in Cali was hilarious. RTS for his balls in flying such shiny ships so often… we like to joke and call him the shiny space pinata, but he really is an epic PVPer. . Also Eran Mintor, and Predator Elite, for taking us out, and leading us into battle. Mad respect to them. I don’t know a LOT of Minmatar, so I’m going to say Mr. Barista, mainly for flying around PL’s 7 titans in a wolf for uh… giggles. Also, I enjoy blowing him up as well, along with Sasawong. (whom we suppose is BORG)

Do you describe yourself as a girl gamer?
Absolutely… also a nerd, I could talk comic books for hours. (Note the Borg comment?)

Discuss how different your EVE experience has been by being female in a male dominated game.
I get asked for sammiches a lot, etc. Which is funny, because I make a Much better omelette, lol. I’ve been hit on, and also apologized to for foul language once they realize I’m Actually a girl, which I also find entertaining, considering I cuss like a sailor myself (the European influences have made that worse:D)

Do you find that the Amarr Militia treats you any differently based on your gender?
Amarr Militia specifically, no.

Knowing that you’re an avid reader, why don’t you blog?
Sadly, because of work I only get to be online so much, I’m usually not around when all the good stuff happens, I work 3rd shift, so…. *Shrug*

What is your opinion on the EVE chronicles and EVE books?
Only time I’ve read them is when searching for a butan answer. 🙂

What are you most proud to have accomplished in EVE so far?
I was very proud and humbled to be with TMFED when they reached 20k kills. They’re an awesome bunch, and I know my participation was really just a drop in the bucket but I was very proud for all of TMFED. Also, I got to go to california for the first time to meet some of them, which was an epic trip. I’d never been that far west before, and the guys are a lot of fun to be around, we’ll have to do it again sometime. We were pleasantly surprised that we didn’t all end up in jail, as we’d predicted. (Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt, now I want another) 😀

Thank you for the interview, any parting thoughts or shout-outs?
Sure. I have a few, Muad for being a great CEO, and making me laugh until I think my jaw will fall off (Not to mention the great Futurama voices), RTS for helping introduce me to FW and letting me join the Lucky Star when I was starting out. TMFED for being an epic group of guys, iLaw whom I have some friends in, Dante and Sunny Chance. The Sov wars guys, Daisha, Jimmy, Mr.Barista, Marginal, Mystical Might, Trans, Morgo, thinnish and the bunch for making things entertaining. They are all the reason I’m on here when I’m not working or sleeping. “Eve IS my social life” as I say, lol and I like it that way. I’ve met some awesome people from all over the world and I can’t wait to meet more <3.

I would also like to note that I talk about Eve at work a lot, and one of my co-workers asked “Is that the game where you’re encouraged to rip people off?” I lol’d.

This week the world lost a beautiful soul. Despite not ever having met him, I know this because of the collective mourning that has affected our virtual world. Countless articles, pictures, and videos have been posted in every channel. Twitter and the forums are overflowing with words of condolences.

If you’re like me and didn’t know him, you might feel a bit helpless and uncertain how you can express your grief, how you can say anything or do anything that might make any difference at all.

I’ve heard that there will be a donation site set up for his wife and his children, I’m sure it will be posted on Twitter and the Mittani website.

I just hope that after the initial shock wears off, that we don’t forget this tragedy, not just Sean Smith, but all the others who needlessly died because of hatred.

My hope is that all of us in the aftermath of this can find a way to make the world a better place in whatever way that we can. Let our good deeds be his legacy.

The Minmatar / Amarr Factional Warfare war zone has approximately 70 star systems to fight over.

Pre Inferno, no one had much of a reason to spread out across the war zone. Plexing was optional and worthless, so no reason to go off and do it really.

Post Inferno you gain loyalty points [LP] for plexing, which depending upon what side of the war you are on, it is still mostly worthless.

Either you’re with the winning side and cashing in for billions, or the losing side and decide it is still pointless to plex because the LP gained is 1/16th of what your enemies are making, or thereabouts.

For the Winter Expansion, as I assume you have all read, they are adjusting LP and tweeking plexes and rats. It will be a better system yes, but…

I imagine the post Winter Expansion will bring about nice changes, but it will do little to inspire more PVP.

Plexing has little to do with PVP. Currently you can farm the plexes for LP in unfit, tech 1 frigates with the skills of a 2 day old alt, though they will change this come Winter.

The numbers may show that there is an influx of players to FW (to the winning sides, mind you), but those numbers are vastly misleading. The numbers will show hundreds logged into a militia, but the war front will show that maybe 10 to 20 of them are actively pvping, if that.

In my opinion, Militias should be fighting for their faction. They should be out, in ships, you know, shooting things. The war zone should be a bloodbath, not a ‘omg another ‘stabbed Merlin”. Even after the rat changes and plexing changes, I believe the farmers will still be out there en mass, running and hiding.

I wouldn’t care if the farmers were there making ISK for themselves, but the annoying thing is that they join the winning side, which continues to keep that side winning because the farmers are the ones doing all the plexing to hold Sov. (which makes it more difficult on the actual pvpers)

So…heres a few of my ideas to make FW more about fighting!

So back to my original statement. Our part of the war zone has 70 systems, yet outside of the farmers mucking around in the backwater systems, no one goes to them because there’s no reason to.

Pre Inferno, most of the fighting happened in three systems. Post Inferno, we are still doing out heaviest fighting in the same three systems.

My ideas to spread the fighting and militias out on the map are:

*Allow corporations to buy docking rights in stations owned by their faction regardless of system control for a month at a time. Make it costly with both ISK and LP, but it would start to help spread people out some (combined with my other ideas). Currently my own corporation lives in Egghelende, a non FW system, so we aren’t under the constant threat of having to defend our home system. We can go away for the weekend and not worry that when we log back in we will be shut out of our stations and lose access to our stuff.

*As history has shown, plexing does not inspire more PVP. Only farming. To make plexing more worthwhile, we should change-up plexing a lot. Ideas for this:

-Make timers roll back in plexes. This needs to happen to keep farmers from bouncing one to another. It will encourage people to fight for the plex.
-Make the minimap worthwhile. It should flash when people are out plexing. This will encourage people to go where the plexers are and kill them.
-Make plex timers visible system wide. It’s frustrating to get to a plex just as it closes.
-Make the plexes come in more options than small, medium, and large.
-Have multiple accel gates to get into a plex from various directions. That would really mix things up.

*Make Factional Warfare more war like…

-Have militia rats on star gates. Not incursion style rats, just easy-to-kill ones, but make them related to FW. It will give the war zone flavor.

-Have secret agent NPC’s from the militia’s undocking from various stations every day, frequently with various loots and secret military documents. The loot would make it worth the effort to go to these stations, to live at the stations, to guard these stations to wait for the NPCs. Instead of 20 corps living in the same Huola station, they will now want to spread out to different stations across the war zone, to stake their claim, to guard that station! The military documents the secret agents would drop can include information on the NPC military fleets…

-Add NPC Militiary fleets that roam around in groups of different sizes, up to fifteen NPCs, in various sized ships so that even noobs have a chance to get in on the fun. These fleets could drop really blingy tags that can be traded into the FW LP store for stuff. Have these fleets roaming everywhere at various times through the war zones. This will encourage counter fleets to roam all over instead of being holed up in the same three systems.

– Create NPC FW Militiary Generals. These NPCs would release weekly the top ten or twenty threats to their faction based on both Kills and VP. They would put substantial Militia Bounties on these enemy militia pilots which would reset each week. This would encourage tons more PVP because I feel like people would be vying to get these special bounties. Also, if you do the bounties on those who are just farming LP, this will inspire pilots to hunt down those farmers for the juicy Militia bounties. If you are on the enemy Most Wanted list more than ten times, you get a shiny medal. People like recognition and bragging rights.

My ideal FW would have more people spread out across the war zone. The war zone would resemble an actual battleground instead of having these hushed hushed backwater systems. Pilots would want to go to all of these systems and stay there and roam around these areas. The war would feel like an actual war.

I want to see FW become something more than RVB, but not null-sec lite either. People don’t join FW because they can’t make it in null, they join because they don’t want to be in null. We don’t want CTAs, going 30 systems to find a fight or somewhere to dock. We don’t want all the diplo bs that goes on with trying to coordinate with every other corp in militia.

I want to see more fighting, not more orbiting a button. I want the option of not having to plex but still being a pivotal part of the militia. I want to see more things blowing up….less round and round the button we go. More spreading out across the whole warzone. More from the Devs who can think outside of the box, think outside of ‘null sec’. More roaming, more fighting, less farming. More Faction WAR!

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Sovereignty Wars

Character: Elisen

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